Dwarf
Kingdoms rich in ancient grandeur, halls carved into the roots of mountains, the echoing of picks and hammers in deep mines and blazing forges, a commitment to clan and tradition, and a burning hatred of Goblins, Orcs, and Ogres—these common threads unite all Dwarves. Dwarves are a strong and sturdy race created by the god Brell Serilis. They are often considered dour and grim, but in most cases, they are simply hard workers who strive to maintain strictly professional attitudes. They live in subterranean cities and often share their territories peacefully with surface-dwelling Elves, with whom dwarves get along with quite well. Dwarves also get along with Gnomes, whom they seem to think of as cousins, albeit strange ones.
Dwarves are hard workers, but enjoy good drink and fine craftsmanship (some combine work with pleasure, building peerless reputations as master brewers). They are generally a pious, dutiful race, worshipping Brell Serilis devoutly, and many dwarven clerics and paladins are vital and trusted members of famous questing parties.
Homeland
Most dwarves come from the lands of King Kazon Stormhammer, the capitol of which is the underground city of Kaladim. Kaladim is built amid a vast mine complex, and is one of the most defensible cities in all Norrath. King Stormhammer has mantained peaceful relations with Goliaths, Elves, Humans, and Gnomes through a policy of open trade and regular contact. As a result, creatures of all these races can commonly be found in Kaladim, often involed in the rich gem trade centered there.Demeanor
Dwarves are fiercely loyal and steadfast, rarely feeling any need to change their allegiances - or their opinions. Dwarves strike a careful balance between work and play, enjoying both when done well (but note that what most races consider labor, dwarves often consider entertainment). They take everything they do seriously, making sure even when having fun to enjoy only the appropriate and dignified entertainments. They are normally slow to anger, but implacable once roused, and are unconditional enemies of Dark Elves, Trolls, and especially Ogres. Dwarves aren't accustomed, culturally, to having to explain themselves, and often have difficulty befriending individuals due to unfortunate misunderstandings. In dwarven society, everyone generally does what they are supposed to without being directed, and as a result dwarves very rarely develop good leadership skills. Also, many dwarves lack an appreciation of other races' sense of humor, causing the dwarves to mistake innocent jokes for insults. Once these initial difficulties are overcome, however, dwarves make stalwart friends and allies.Appearance
Dwarves are not pretty to look at by any other race's standards, with squat features and short, stubby bodies. They average just over 4 feet in height, with a typical male weighing approximately 150 pounds. They have large noses and ears, broad faces that have been described as harsh, though female dwarves are occasionally somewhat more comely. Dwarves take great pride in their hair, which is often kept long and braded, and can be all sorts of colors. Many dwarven males take meticulous care to grow thick beards and mustaches. Females are more likely to keep their hair in tight buns, though a few dwarven women also grow neatly trimmed facial hair. Dwarven garments and armor tend to be well made and practical, with many pockets and quality stitching. Ornaments tend towards belts, bracers, and buckles, though dwarves also have a fondness for well-cut gems. Because of their relatively small size, their armor tends to be cheaper than similar equipment for larger races, and dwarves are often surprisingly well outfitted.Religion
The worship of Brell Serilis is so widespread among dwarves as to be nearly universal. Great cathedrals and guilds support both clerics and paladins of Brell Serilis in Kaladim and most dwarven cities. A few dwarves worship Bristlebane, though these are often oddities who lack the support of dwarven society as a whole.Quests
Many dwarves go on religious quests early in their lives, in service of god and church. Often they make friends among non-dwarves in these early journeys, and are asked to accompany their new friends on other quests. Some dwarves are driven to undertake quests as craftsman, seeking rare ingredients or formulae. Dwarves' natural dislike of the evil races also sends some on quests to combat various Dark Elf plots or Ogre raids. Dwarves who take up the adventuring life might be motivated by a desire for treasure—for its own sake, for a specific purpose, or even out of an altruistic desire to help others. Other dwarves are driven by the command or Inspiration of a deity, a direct calling or simply a desire to bring glory to one of the dwarf gods. Clan and ancestry are also important motivators. A dwarf might seek to restore a clan's lost honor, avenge an ancient wrong the clan suffered, or earn a new place within the clan after having been exiled. Or a dwarf might search for the axe wielded by a mighty ancestor, lost on the field of battle centuries ago.Long Memory, Long Grudges
Dwarves can live to be more than 400 years old, so the oldest living Dwarves often remember a very different world. This longevity grants them a perspective on the world that shorter-lived races such as Humans and Halflings lack. Dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains they love, weathering the passage of centuries with stoic endurance and little change. They respect the traditions of their clans, tracing their ancestry back to their race's initial creation, and don’t abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is devotion to the gods of the dwarves, who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labor, skill in battle, and devotion to the forge. Individual Dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud.
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